Featured Items

Article

Section

Breadcrumbs

Psychotropic Medication

Welcome to the Psychotropic Medication Initiative webpage!

The use of psychotropic medications among children in state custody has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. A number of published studies have demonstrated that children in the child welfare system are prescribed psychotropic medications at rates that are three to four times higher than rates for other Medicaid-insured youth. In addition, youth in the child welfare system typically experience abuse, neglect or other traumatic stressors at rates that are significantly higher than the general population.

To address these trends as they relate to Indiana youth, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) launched a comprehensive initiative in 2013, in collaboration with the Indiana Family Social Services Administration (FSSA), the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP), the Division of Mental Health and Addictions (DMHA), and the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) Department of Psychiatry, to provide oversight, monitoring, education and consultation regarding psychotropic mediation utilization for youth in DCS care.